To Krsna

How did you pin them down with your smile?
All those fluttering hearts, quivering, naked
In the playful glow of your up-curved lips?

How could you lead them on with your flute?
Those faltering feet, timorous anklets tinkling
Shattering threshold and lakshman-rekha
In hot pursuit of woodnotes in the wild?

How could you -- rustic and ribald,
Ink-black and smeared with butter
Dare smash my pretences,
Break down my defences,
Tear away my designer masks,
Make mockery of my indignation?













I am become – on this night of lamps
This flickering, flaming wick
Seeking,
Searching,
Simmering.
Dancing desperately in the dark.
How could you keep me awake and restless?
Straining
For the sound of your step
Listening
For the lilt of your tunes
Longing for your touch?

Frank Krishner: started Ranipul, Sikkim 1994 – completed Patna, Bihar 2006.


Note: lakshman-rekha – refers to the boundaries of propriety traditionally defined for Indian women. In the Ramayana, Lakshman, the brother of King Rama drew a rekha [line] around his brother’s wife Sita, who would be safe as long as she did not cross it. Ravana lured her across the lakshman –rekha and that resulted in a war, and loss of face for Sita towards the end of the saga.

The subject is Lord Krishna, the legendary god of love, who was the darling of the cow-girls and cow-boys as he grew up among them.